Starcom Worldwide today announced the appointment of Sriram Sharma as General Manager - Bangalore, Starcom Worldwide. Sharma will be responsible for spearheading Starcom Bangalore’s operations. He takes over from Ashwini Kamat, who moves on from the organisation (to relocate to Mumbai) after spending over eight years.
A post graduate in Marketing, Sharma is a veteran in the media industry having also worked in multiple industries like advertising, internet and mobile. With over 13 years of experience in media planning, buying and strategic brand building he has a proven track record of managing key relationships.
Sandeep Lakhina, COO-South Asia, Starcom Worldwide, said “Firstly, we would like to place on record the leadership rendered by Ashwini over the past two years to the Bangalore office and for her eight years of dedicated service to the organisation. Next, as we focus on our growth in the South with renewed zest, Bangalore is a significant and important market for us. We are extremely happy to have Sriram join us to head the Bangalore office – he comes with a proven track of growing businesses and managing relationships with clients and teams. I am confident that his skills, capabilities and experience will be an asset to the organization, and I am looking forward to working with him and double the size of our Bangalore office in the next 12 months”.
Sriram Sharma said ”Starcom is a company with a robust network. Its solid reputation in the industry and its belief in adding value to clients drew me towards being part of this organisation. I’m sure that working at Starcom Bangalore and leading business development and managing existing clients will be an interesting challenge. I look forward to making the Bangalore office a leader in its own right and working with the team in doubling the size of our operations in the next one year”.
Sriram Sharma’s last stint was with OnMobile Global, the largest VAS Company in the mobile space. Prior to this he was with GroupM, where he was the General Manager of Maxus in Bangalore.
About Starcom Worldwide
Starcom Worldwide is one of the two global networks of Starcom MediaVest Group. The network started its branded operations in 2000 and has four offices and a staff of over 120 talented professionals. It counts amongst its clients such prestigious names as Aircel, HDFC Bank, Heinz, Himalaya Healthcare, Jet Airways, Kotak Group, Oracle, SAB Miller and Samsung.
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About Starcom MediaVest Group [www.smvgroup.com]
Ranked one of the largest brand communications groups in the world, Chicago headquartered Starcom MediaVest Group encompasses an integrated network of highly specialized consumer contact companies. SMG's global organization includes strategic marketing communication architects who are highly specialized in media management, response media, internet and digital communications, as well as multicultural, entertainment, gaming, sports, sponsorship, event marketing and media. With over 6,000 employees in 110 offices worldwide, SMG delivers brand-building results for many of the world's leading companies. It is now part of VivaKi, the newly formed global communications entity within Paris-based Publicis Groupe.
Starcom MediaVest Group in India
Ranked consistently as one of India’s most admired media networks by Brand Equity, Starcom MediaVest Group is one of the youngest, largest and most diversified media networks in the country. It operates two media network brands Starcom Worldwide and MediaVest Worldwide and has over 300 contact architects and activators across its four full service offices and twenty other offices where its specialist units have an operation. It prides itself on its ‘people first’ approach at workplace and is known in the industry and in campuses as one of the best places to work in. It has one of the best retention rates amongst media networks in India.
Using proprietary planning frameworks such as Passion Group Marketing, internationally proven tools such as TARDIIS, local research and superior analytical skills, the agency attempts to build lasting connections between its clients’ brands and their customers.
Since 2007, the network has been represented to the media owners by India Media Exchange, formed after a strategic merger of its buying scale with that of sister VivaKi unit ZenithOptimedia, making it the second largest buyer of media in the market now.
In addition to communication strategy development and mainstream media negotiation, the network offers solutions in the area of out-of-home and ambient media [Navia], entertainment and embedded marketing [The Bridge], digital and wireless marketing [Starcom IP], sports and cause enabled marketing [Relay Worldwide], activation and media supported amplification [ACE] and small town and rural marketing [Xpanse], ambient assets, navigational signage, and retail branding [Enhance] and lifestyle marketing and communication [C].
SMG South Asia operations, headed by CEO Ravi Kiran, report to Chicago based Andrew Swinand, President-Global Operations for the network